‘Nowhere close to where we need to be’: Shortage of Black therapists in Cincinnati worries health experts

FAIRFIELD, Ohio — The bed was her safe space. Ashley Glass used to crawl under the covers, forget about her issues and try to sleep. She did this all the time — even if it wasn’t dark outside. She didn’t think much about it. Because she did it to survive. Growing up, Glass’s anxiety felt like butterflies in her stomach. She didn’t know what it was. And for years, she wouldn’t. She didn’t know it was turning into depression. Until she began seeing a therapist. “Therapy saved my life,” she said. But not right away. Keith BieryGolick Ashley Glass takes a walk near her home in Fairfield. Glass is the founder of Black Women Cultivating Change, a nonprofit organization that helps connect people with mental health services. Glass has struggled with anxiety and depression in the past. At first, Glass saw any therapist recommended to her — any therapist covered by her insurance. Eventually, she realized any therapist wouldn’t do. She said she was more comfortable talking to a Black woman — someone who looked like her. The problem was that therapist wasn’t easy to find. And she’s not alone. In Ohio, there are more than 2.3 million people who...